THE FERRET. 
281 
Some years ago, an escaped Ferret was discovered in its nsnrped burrow, and most gal- 
lantly captured by a young lad who was extremely courageous for his years. He was prowl- 
ing round a small, thickly- wooded copse, in search of birds’ nests, when he saw a sharply- 
pointed snout protruding from a rabbit-hole in the bank which edged the copse, and a pair of 
fiery little eyes gleaming like two living gems in the semi-darkness of the burrow. Being a 
remarkably silent and reticent lad, he told no one of his discovery, but went into the village, 
and presently returned, bearing a little dead kitten which had just been drowned. He then 
' crept to the foot of the bank which overhung the burrow, and holding the dead kitten by its 
tail, lowered it into the hole. The Ferret made an immediate spring at the prey which had 
made so opportune an arrival, and was jerked out of the burrow before it could loosen its hold. 
The lad grasped the Ferret across the body, 
but as he was lying in such a manner that he 
could only use his left arm, the enraged animal 
began to bite his hand in the most furious man- 
ner. However, the young captor could not be in- 
duced to let the Ferret escape, and with great 
presence of mind whirled the creature round with 
such rapidity that it was soon rendered almost 
senseless by giddiness, and gave him an opportu- 
nity of grasping it with his right hand. The Ferret 
could not bite while thus held, and was borne tri- 
umphantly home, in spite of the wounds which 
had been inflicted on the hand. The bite of an 
enraged Ferret is of a very severe character, and, 
probably in consequence of the nature of its food, 
is difficult to heal and extremely painful. 
It is a fierce little animal, and is too apt to 
' turn upon its owner, and wound him severely be- 
fore he suspects that the creature is actuated by 
any ill-intentions. I once witnessed a rather curious 
example of the uncertainty of the Ferret’s temper. 
A lad who possessed a beautiful white Ferret had 
partially tamed the creature, and thought that it 
was quite harmless. The Ferret was accustomed 
to crawl about his person, and would permit itself 
to be caressed almost as freely as a cat. But on 
one unfortunate morning, when its owner was 
vaunting the performances of his protegee — for it 
was a female — the creature made a quiet but rapid ferret . —Musteia mo. 
snap at his mouth, and drove its teeth through 
both his lips, making four cuts as sharply defined as if they had been made with a razor. 
Still, the Ferret is really susceptible of kind feeling, and has been often known to be truly 
tamed. One of these animals was accustomed to accompany its master when he took a walk 
in the country, and was permitted to range at will. Round its neck a little bell was hung, so 
as to give indications of its presence, but it was so extremely tame that this precaution was 
hardly needed. It would follow its master like a dog, and if he ran away would hunt his 
footsteps, anxiously and eagerly seeking for his presence. This was a Polecat-ferret. 
When Ferrets are used for the purpose of hunting rabits, their mouths are securely muz- 
zled before they are permitted to enter the burrows ; as, if their teeth were at liberty, they 
would in all probability kill the first rabbit which they met, and remain in the burrow for the 
purpose of sucking its blood. They are purposely kept without their ordinary meals before 
they are taken into the field, and are therefore especially anxious to secure their prey. Several 
modes of muzzling the Ferret are in vogue : some of them being as humane as is consistent 
with the act of fastening together the jaws of any animal, and others being most shamefully 
